The best float fishing rods | All styles and budgets covered

The Drennan Acolyte Commercial is a high-performance tool designed particularly to tackle large carp on commercial fisheries, the rod is powerful yet refined that makes it a joy to use even in the most demanding situations.

The rod exudes power whilst remaining sensitive, this is in part due to the slim blank profile that enhances casting accuracy. An advancement on its popular predecessor the Acolyte Pellet Waggler, the rod benefits from larger oversized guides which also aids in casting due to vastly reduced friction action on the line.

Capable of handling the biggest pellet wagglers this rod lends its self to targeting the biggest fish in commercials.

The Daiwa Airity X-Slim Float rod, has been designed and engineered to cope with demands of the modern angler. A rod that marries the strength and precision of X45X Full Shield technology with the slim elegance of a reduced diameter blank.

The slimmer profile of this rod helps them cut through the air, allowing you to cast further with smaller floats—perfect for targeting big, wary commercial carp that may spook at larger floats. The slim design also aids in striking, making it ideal for species like roach or situations where every bite counts. The stand out model is the 11ft model, this capable rod will handle anything a commercial fishery can throw at you.

With the V-Joint Alpha technology, the rod bends smoothly, evenly, and effortlessly which will reduce hook pulls, and allow the use of lighter mainlines. Fitted with a Tournament reel seat, stainless steel Zirconia guides, and a striking two-tone EVA handle that turns heads.

With four distinct models, the Guru A-Class offers something for every angler. It includes three 2-piece rods designed for commercial pellet waggler fishing and a versatile 3-piece 13ft model suitable for all styles of float fishing.

Crafted from 24T tensile carbon blanks, these rods strike the perfect balance between strength and flexibility. The stainless frame guides feature durable titanium oxide rings, minimising line friction and enhancing your casting performance.

The standout model, the 13ft Pellet Waggler, weighs just 180g and handles a line rating of 2-8lb with a casting weight of 3-15g. This rod is perfect for targeting carp and F1s in commercial fisheries as well as silvers on natural venues. If you want a good quality rod that will do a bit of everything without breaking the bank, look no further!

A comfortable rod that feels like a natural extension of your hand. The downlocking DPS style reel seat and cork handle provide a secure grip, allowing for maximum control.

What the market needs is a rod that has the attributes to  handle some hectic pellet waggler work during the heat of summer, and yet still has enough finesse to transition to the old-school style once it gets cold.  There are not many options on the market, but the new Daiwa 11ft Ninja EXT Float appears at first glance to fit the bill in every department. 

Not everyone has the luxury of being able to bundle everything into the back of a van, and for those of you, like me, who need to place your kit strategically inside a hatchback without it getting in the way of the gear stick while driving, this is a brilliant idea. 

The guides stand well off the blank to prevent the mainline sticking to it in wet conditions, and the rod has all the little finishing touches you’d expect from Daiwa, including a flattened area on the EVA handle to make for comfortable fishing all day long , and the usual eye-catching graphics. The butt seemed to have more than enough power to allow me to lean into any carp intent on heading off in the wrong direction. 

A 3g loaded waggler was hooked on to the quick- change float adapter, and a couple of light droppers were spread down the line before I cast the rig just shy of the island around 40m out. 
The rod propelled the rig to the target zone with consummate ease, and this feat was repeated time and time again. I also took the opportunity to have a few casts with a pellet waggler float that was double the weight to see if it could deliver the same result, and it did so without breaking sweat.

Daiwa states it can handle floats up to 15g and, as someone who can’t remember the last time I chucked a pellet waggler of more than 10g, I’d say it would cover me quite comfortably for this style of summer angling. It has a casting action that can flick light floats out effortlessly, yet it has the necessary ‘oomph’ to launch out big pellet wagglers. 

So, if you’re looking for a rod that will be just as useful on commercials during the height of the bagging season as it will be when you’re scratching around for a handful of carp bites in winter, the 11ft Daiwa Ninja EXT Float needs to come into your thoughts. It’s an awful lot of rod for not a lot of money.

Although similar in looks and price to their predecessors, it is clear to see, when picking 
the brand-new Drennan Vertex MK2 float rods, that they are slimmer and better balanced. They feel slightly more responsive, too. 

To see how much of a step forward they’d taken, I took one to Manor Farm Leisure, near Evesham, for a session on Bottom Lake. With a consistent depth of around 5ft, it’s perfect for a 13ft float rod fished with a traditional waggler approach. 

With some big old carp present, along with F1s and roach, almost any size of fish could have taken the bait but, on the day, it was the bream and skimmers that decided to feed. Good fish between 1lb and 3lb, too, and very good fun on the waggler.

Bites were  slow dips, giving me just enough time think about the bite before deciding to hit it. 
A very simple way to describe the rod’s action is ‘traditional’. The soft top end plays the fish, while the firm middle casts the float and sets the hook. What I found most impressive about the rod was just how crisp the middle was. 

I’ve always believed that cheaper rods perform at their best in their shorter lengths, as the longer they are, the more cumbersome they feel, and it’s the mid-section that seems to suffer the most. I did not get any of that with the Vertex MK 2. The blank was definitely thicker than a top of the range Acolyte, but the action was surprisingly similar – a feat that a rod at this price point should not be able to achieve! 

In fact, I’ll stick my neck out and say that this rod has the exact feel of models that were selling for nearing £200 twenty years ago. When you take into account inflation, that really is impressive. 
Yes, it isn’t quite an ‘Ultra’ rod, but it certainly isn’t a ‘Plus’ either.

It sits in that  lovely sweet ground where it can be used for all sorts of fishing. Light enough for roach and skimmers on stillwaters, yet with enough power to handle bigger floats and powerful chub or barbel on rivers – it’s a ‘go to’ rod.

If you enjoy a days trotting, then the Drenann Acolyte Ultra range of rods are seriously hard to beat. There is probably not a rod on the market that is lighter than they are, making them easy to hold and use all day without any fatigue in your arm. The tips of the rods are incredibly fast too, which will help you hit even the most sensitive bites, great if you fish for roach on commercials or like to long trot on rivers.

The new Acolyte has larger,  better-casting guides lower down, with a modern top-end Fuji screw-down reel seat, and breaks down into two or three sections depending on model. It also feels stiffer when being waggled around than previous models, something several anglers have mentioned to me after looking at them in shops. This, however, is an illusion created by the tippy action and the crisp modern carbon used – with a fish attached, it feels so much softer. 

This tweak just adds to an already incredible series of rods as the Ultra casts beautifully, as well as being unbelievably light and well balanced to hold, and felt lightning-fast when striking at bites. 

As if the fish in Marshes Lake knew I wanted to test the finesse of the rod to the max, the fishing was unusually hard, forcing me to scale down to a tiny size 20 hook and a 0.10mm bottom. This gave me an extra flurry of bites, mostly from some very crafty ide up to 1lb. 

When a fast and firm strike into a fish of that size on gear that light didn’t result in a breakage, I knew that the my old waggler rods had been used for the very last time, and I had to think of some excuses to give the wife as to why I was going to be buying yet another rod!

Where power meets precision, the Korum Omega Rods offer a smooth fast taper with exceptional balance. The rod provides fast tip reactions and incredible line pick-up speeds making it most adept at all float fishing techniques. Capable of snaring roach and skimmers on a stillwater, with plenty in reserve to deal with chub and barbel.

These versatile rods are designed for both fixed-spool and centrepin reel enthusiasts. For those who appreciate vintage tackle, the timeless design and superior craftsmanship will surely catch your eye.

These rods are the perfect choice for anglers who don't have a massive budget or space to have multiple rods for various scenarios.

The Daiwa Tournament S Float Rod. Enhanced with advanced technologies like HVF Nanoplus and V-Joint Alpha, this rod is designed specifically for natural venue fishing. Available in 11ft 6’ to 17ft lengths there is a model to suit all float fishing situations.

These rods emerged from the growing demand for winter silverfish competitions and the needs of anglers targeting small rivers and drains. It has quickly become a firm favourite and top-selling float rod, perfect for smaller wagglers and ideal for casts ranging from 15m to 25m.

The rod features high-quality Seaguide TYG and TDG skeletal guides, perfectly complementing its fast yet forgiving action. The result is a sleek, lightweight blank that is not only visually appealing but also a pleasure to use.

Daiwa's Connoisseur Pro Match Rods are the go-to choice for river enthusiasts. Crafted with precision from high grade carbon cloths, these Pro rods are reliable in any water setting, be it still or flowing, but really shines trotting floats on a river.

Sleek yet robust, these rods offer the perfect blend of comfort and performance. Their casting ability is second to none, handling everything from the feather-light stick floats to the weighty sliders with ease.

Crisp with near instant recovery, their rapid line pick up is perfect for long trotting. No wonder the Connoisseur Pro is revered in river fishing.

The Daiwa Connoisseur Pro Bolo rod, your secret weapon for tackling the toughest river conditions. Choose from 5m, 6m, and 7m models, all designed for precision and control.

If you do a lot of river fishing on particularly big, powerful rivers like the Trent and the Wye, and need to be able to control a big float in the middle of the river, this is a rod for you. Despite its length, it is incredibly light and stiff.

Some telescopic rods of this length do sacrifice some of the performance which can result in a slightly 'floppy' action, resulting in missed bites, this is not the case with the Connoisseur.

Constructed from HVF Nanoplus carbon fibre, this rod combines exceptional strength with lightweight ease. The V-Joint Alpha joint design provides seamless strength and sensitivity, delivering unmatched performance. The Fuji fixed reel plate ensures a secure connection, while the SeaGuide Zircona guides reduce friction for optimal casting incorporating numerous rings to ensure snag free line travel.